Apparatus for treating articles with fluid.



APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES WITH FLUID. APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1915.

1,267,754. Patented May 28, 1918.

M by @a 5%@ F. A. FLICK.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES WITH FLUID.

Patented May 28,19@

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 3,1915.

FREDERICK A. FLICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ARTICLES WITH FLUID.A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed March 3, 1915. Serial No. 11,912.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. FLICK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, N. Y., have invented certain Apparatus for Treating Articles with Fluid, of which the following description, in connection'with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like charac-ters on the drawings designating like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for the treat-ment of articles with fluids, and is of special utility when embodied in apparatus for etching printing plates, although I contemplate the use of my improvements in any field for which they are adapted by their nature.

An important object of my invention is to provide in such apparatus a suitably constructed container with means to spray with one or more Huids the article to be treated, and means controlling the flow of the iiuids from said article so that these iuids may becollected at will in any one or' more of a plurality of compartments, a further important object of my invention being to provide these compartments with elevating means respectively acting upon the fluids separately to raise said fluids into position for delivery independently of each other, or mixed in the relative proportions desired, to the spraying device or devices.

My present invention is an improvement upon the etching apparatus disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,133,547, granted March 30, 1915, and the various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in plan of an apparatus for etching in the construction of which my improvements have been embodied;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in vertical section upon the line 1:2 rc2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line fra-ra, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 1 is a similar view on the line .r4-m4, Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description to enable ready and complete understanding of my improvements, the part designated by the reference numeral 1 is an acid-proof eontainer of any suitable size, shape and mate- 'a1 ,;;eing Shown, in the instance illustrated,

as a rectangular boX molded of glazed earthenware and divided into compartments by a partition 3, preferably also made of earthenware and which may be of any suitable construction, as for example formed integrally with the sides of the container, as shown.

This partition may be provided with suitable openings to permit passage of fluid between the compartments, as for example the openings 5 and 'l' near the bottom of the partition, these openings permitting access to compartments 9 and 11 for iuid from the Compartment 13, which latter may, and preferably will, serve as the receptacle for the article to be treated, as for example a printing plate 15 to be etched, to support which the container may be provided with any suitable device.

I prefer to use for this purpose a rotary platen or table 17, with stepped, graded ledges 19, forming a series of recesses in which may be placed plates of different sizes, as provided in my aforesaid patent, this form of structure permitting the plates to be readily emplaced and removed for inspection, as no clamps are required to hold the plate from sliding, when as I prefer, the support is mounted at an angle to facilitate application of the iuids and their drainage. The numerals 18 designate drainage apertures.

The supporting table 17 may be of any suitable material. as for example the glazed earthenware, and may be carried and rotated by any suitable means, such as the shaft 21, mounted rotatably in a bearing 23, which latter may be, and preferably is, formed integrally with the material of the container 1, the shaft 21 passing out through the bottom 25, and having suitable driving means lsuch as the worm-gear 27 in mesh with a worm shaft 28 mounted in bearings 29 secured to the base at 30, this worm-shaft having a pulley 31 driven by a belt 32 running from a pulley-35C on shaft 36 of a motor 38, constituting one suitableA form of prime mover for the apparatus. Any suitable base 39 may be provided to support the container 1 and motor 38, and preferably the base will be somewhat elevated, as by feet 4l. to give access conveniently to the under parts of the apparatus.

In accordance with' an important feature of my invention, means are provided for supplying separately etait oliable uids for lll treatment ot the article being operated upon, and any suitable devices may be utilized tor this purpose, in connection with the supply compartments and ll. to `which reference yhas already been made, and as one convenient :torni of device tor receiving the fluids from these compartments. and applying them to the article supported on the rotating table l?, l have shown a rotating mechanical spreader lil. having shatt pivots "journaled in the walls l? olf the container, vvhich may have .,ochct devices l-S) to receive the pivots.

In the instance illustrated. this spreader extends partly across the container at a region somewhat helen' the center ot the table 1T and the spreader comprises blades 5l to 'which fluid is 'delivered through an opening` or openings in partition l over a supply member extendii e' aero said compartments A'adjacent to iid open] 33. the lluid passing trom the compartuieirs f) and ll, in streams which can be. blended in 'doiving over the supply member and by the subsequent action of the blades 5l et the spreader, so that the duid from one compartment or the other compartment can be applied separately to the article to be treated, or a blended tluid therefrom can be applied to said article; and to accomplish the control of the fluids supplied. in order to etfectone or another ot' these triple tru-ius or', treatment, it is sufficient to deliver one or the other streamr` or cause both to run. i batte plate 100 may, and preferably Will be provided to aid in directing the blendef.

Y l tluid upon the support l?. The faipply member 55 is preferably removable.

Any suitable means may be provided to introduce a supply Huid from the supply compartments 9 and ll respectively to the supply member 55, and one convenient arrangement tor this purpose simply to pour the several fluids separately into their appropriate compartments 9 and ll, and to provide means tor elevating said fluids separately' from the lower portions ot said compartments to the supply member 55, and as one convenient torni of means tor this purpose l have shoun a rotary elevator 5T in the compartment O, and a rotary elevator 59 in the compartment l1, these elevators having respectively operating shafts Gl er;- tended out through the walls oi the container, as at 63, and having their inner ends jourualed in bearing sockets G5 in the transverse double partition (5l, Which l prefer to provide for the more complete separation ot the fluids in the supply compartments 9 and l1 respectively.

To operate these rotary elevators, suitable means maybe provided`1 tor example the pulleys 68 and 69 driven by belts 7l from driving pulleys T3, on the shalt 36 and by changing 'the relative sizes oit these pulleys. the relative speed ot the elevators 5T and 59 and the rotary spreader #i3 can be determined, it, as l prefer, the rotary spreader s3 is driven by belt la running on shaft 36 to apulley 4S from a pulley lo A removable batverably comprises a tast and loose pulley, and

the belts Tl can he controlled individually hy any suitable 1neans,`such as the shipper handles 77, 79, in ivell-lnioivn fashion, to throiv onor Oil' either of' the belts 71 and consequently cause the operation ot' elevator 57 or elevator 59, or both, and thus to supply a stream ot fluid trom compartment 9 or compartment l1, or streams trom both, Yto supply member spreader l andthence to the article to be treated.

The amount of duid alloived to pass trom the supply member 55 through aperture in partition 3 can be regulated by any suitable means, and as one convenient Jform of device for the purposegl have shovvn a vertical gate SO mounted on pegs 82 passing through slots Se in the. gate, which is actuatedin the instance illust-rated byv a camlever 88 pivoted at 89 upon the gate S03 and having anoperating handle 90.

ln accordance With another highly important object ot my invention, l provide means tor controlling the drainage of the fluids after treatment ot the article in compartment 13, so that the drainage iuid can be returned at ivill to either of the compartments 9, ll or 13. according to the tuture disposition to be made of the drainage fluid, and any suitable form ot means tor this purpose may be utilized.

ills one convenient torm ottlevice for this purpose, l have shown an improved type of dellector S5- comprising. the essential teatmes and tunctions ot the detleetor illustrated and described in my Patent No. Lle.; but Which is constructed and arranged in accordance with my present invention to el'lect the direction ot the drainage tluid to one side orto the other side ot the container corresponding to the locality ol' the compartments being yqiositioued across the'coutainer approximately at the region ol the plane oit the drainage apron S7 aud baille plate 89 `which l preler to provide belou' the table l?. as in my Patentlo. 1.133515 the rotary detlector receiving the tluid [lowing trom the lower edge thereot'.

ln accordancek with my improvements. this controlling drainage member has a plurality ot peripheral channels 91 and 93, bestseen in l11 igs. 2 and 3, ruiminglongitudinally in position to receive the drainage tluid trom the table, and hav`ng outlets Qt and 95, of which the torniier so placed as to discharge into the bottom ot the container at a regimi laudll. the dellector where the drainage fluid will pass through opening in the lower part of partition member'3, into supply compartment 9, when channel 91 is presented upwardly to receive the drainage, while outlet 95 is so placed as to discharge into the kbottom of the container at a region where the drainage fluid will pass through opening 7 in partition 3 into supply compartment 11 when channel 93 is presented upwardly to receive the drainage. l

At 97, I have shown a handle constituting one convenient form of means for regulating the position of the controlling drainage member, this handle being secured to an extension of the shaft 99, at one end of the deflector, which shaft is journaled in a wall opening 101, while a similar pivot 103 at the other end of the deector is journaled in a similar wall opening 105, bushings 102 being preferably provided therefor.

The container chamber 13 may have an upper vent 106 for fumes, and a discharge outlet 107 in its bottom by which to draw off any fluid gathered there accidentally, or which may be purposely directed thereinto by moving the deflector 85 into a suitable angular position to pass drainage fluid directly from the table 17 through channels 91 or 93 and outlets 94 or 95 into the bottom of compartment 13 and thence through valve 107 when the latter is opened to discharge the drainage fluid into the drain 108 or other suitable place for final disposition thereof.

l/Vater for washing the article on platen 17 may be introducec through either of the compartments 9 or 11 and applied by the elevators and rotary spreader 43, or it may be supplied by a perforated water channel 109 molded in the top member 110, and provided with a nipple 111 to receive a water supply pipe 112.

The referencel numerals 113 and 115 clesignate glass cover plates, being arranged to slide over one another (see Figs. 2 and 3) and through which the etching operations may be observed, and similar plates 114 may be provided over compartments 9 and 11.

At 117 I have shown a closure member to check the escape of drainage fluid through the aperture 119 in apron 87, s0 that all of the drainage fluid will be under control of the deflector 85.

Outlets 121 and 123 are preferably provided for the fluids in supply compartments 9 and 11 respectively, and for the sake' of convenience I have shown these outlets as located adjacent to the outlet 107 and drain 108, a channel 125 being molded along the partition 127 t-o lead t-he fluid from compartment 9 to outlet 121. f

In operation, the article 15 to be treated `will be placed upon the rotary platen 17 k; the

supplies of etching or other fluids will be poured into their appropriate compartments container.

The motor 38 will then be started, causing rotation of shaft 36 and yspreader 43 by means of belt 44, and upon throwing on either or both of the shipper handles 77 and 79, the belts 71 may be shifted tothe fast pulleys 73, and the elevators 57, 59 operated to raise fluid from supply compartments 9 and 11, and discharge the supply upon supply member 55, whence it passes by aperture 53, under t-he regulation of gate 8,0, and is caught by the blades 51 of the rov tating spreader 43, which distributes it in spray to the plate 15 Vor other article on the table 17, the latter being rotated simultaneously under the action of shaft 21, wormgear 27 and worm shaft 28 driven by belt 32 from the motor 38.

If the elevator 57 is being run, the deflector 85 will preferably be positioned as shown in Fig. 3, with its channel 91 in place to receive thefluid draining from plate 15, support 17 and baffle plate 89, the fluid passing by outlet 94 back to the compartment 9 by the bottomapertures 5 in partition 3.

W'hen the etching operation shall have been completed, the shipper handle 77 can be thrown to shift belt 71 to loose pulley 7 3, stopping theelevator 57, and washing-fluid can be introduced to supply member 55 through supply pipe 112 and perforated channel 109, acting first to wash thesupply member 55 and thence passing to spreader 43 which sprays it upon plate 15 and support 17, washing these thoroughly, the deflector 85 being turned to direct outlet 94 toward compartment 13, so that the washing Huid can be drawn off through outlet 107 into drain 108. s

If it is desired to wash out the supply compartments 9 and 11, the supply member can be removed, the contents of the compartments drawn offl through outlets 121 and 123, and washing fluid delivered through supply pipe 112 andperforated,channel 109, the elevators 57 and 59 being operated, if desired, to agitate they washing fluid.

t Having illustrated and described my invention thus fully, and suitable means by which it may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific materials and forms of ,structure selected for illustration and description by way of example, nor do I limit myself 1n general otherwise than as set forth ,ing plates, said apparatus comprising a con tainer having a plurality of supply co1nin o llO

partments for said-fluids, :means to support said article for treatment, means to apply to said article the fluids from said supply compartments respectively, and means to :return to said several compartments at will the fluid drained from said article.

rlpparatus for the treatment With a plurality of fluids of such articles as `printing plates, said apparatus comprising a con tainer 'having a plurality of supply compartments for said fluids, means to Asupport said article for treatment, means to apply to said article the fluids from said supply compartments respectively, and means 'to 'return to said severa-l compartments at Will the fluid drained from Asaid article, said means comprising elevators in said compartments respectively.

3. Apparatus for the treatment ivitli a plurality of fluids of such articles as print ing plates, said apparatus comprising a container having plurality of supply `compartments for said fluids, means to support said article for 'treatment., means to apply to said article the fluids from said supply compartments respectively, and means to return to said several compartments at Will the fiufid drained from said article, said means comprising elevators in said compartments respectively and means to receive fluids from said elevators and apply said fluids separately or in blended condition to said` article.

si. Apparatus for the treatment ivith a plurality of fluids of such articles as printing platessaid apparatus comprising a eontainer having a plurality of supply compartments for said fluids, means to support said article for treatment, means to apply to said article the fluids from said supply compartments respectively, and means to return to said several compartments at Will the fluid drained from'said article, said means comprising elevators in said compartments respectively and meansto receive fluids from said elevators and apply said fluids separately or'in blended condition to said article, said meanscomprising a delivery controlling member and vmeans to apply forcibly to saidarticletlie fluid received from said controlling member.

The combination Wit-h a container having aplurality of compartments for fluids anda support for an article to be treated by said fluid,` of'a drainage controlling device comprising a member having a recesscd portion to' receive fluid drained from said article, said member havingI outlets to direct said drainage toward said kcompartments selectively.

o. The combination Awith a container having a plurality ofcompartments for fluids and a support for an article to betreated by said duid, of a drainage controlling device comprising a montani. clianncled'longiF ai; Laois/,voli

tudinally'to receive fluid drained from Vsaid support.

7. llhe combination ivith'a container liaving a plurality lof compartments for, fluid and a support for an article to be treated by said fluid, of V'a d ainage controlling device comprising a member having a plurality of longitudinal lperipheral channels to rreceive :fluid drained, Awith outlets to discharge said `drainage fluid at different regions, and means to support said member rotatably to present one or another of said longitudinal 'channels yfor the reception of said drainagefluid. ,Y

S. The combination ivith a fluid-container and a support for an article to be treated with fluid, of ya 'rotatable drainage-controlling cylinder having peripheral channels with outlets, and vmeans to direct into said channels the fluid draining vfrom said article.

9. l dralliage-controlling member for apparatus of the class described, said 'member comprising an extended body with peripheral longitudinal grooves having outlets respectively constructed and "arranged to deliver at different longitudinal `regions fluid introduced to said4 lgrooves substantially throughout their length.

l0. Apparatus for treating articles With fluids, comprising a container having a compartment provided ivith a support for an article to be treated, and a plurality of supplv compartments respectively in communication ivith'said article compartment to receive fluid drained from said article, a supply member common to said supply compartments and extended betvveenthem and said article compartment, elevators in said supply compartments respectively, to transfer fluid supplies from their lower portions to said supply member, means to operate said elevators selectively, a spreading device to receive fluid from said supply'member and apply it to said article, and means to control the return yto said supply-'compartments selectively of the fluid drained from said article. Y Y

y ll. apparatus for treating articles With fluids, comprisinga container divided by partitions into a compartmenthaving a rotatable support for the article to be treated and a plurality of compartments having each a rotary elevator to dip into the fluid in said supply compartments respectively, said partitions having vlower and upper apertures for transfer of fluid to and from said supply n and article compartments,` a

supply memberextended in a substantially horizontal position to receive fluid supplies from said supply compartments respectively` and to deliver said fluid supplies throughthe upper apertures to said article compartment iu blended condition or separately, at will, a .fijate forsaid I A ly aperture, a spreader fi.

lOO

to receive said supply from said supplymember and apply it to said article, and a drainage a member to control the return of fluid drained from said article to said compartments selectively.

l2. Apparatus for treating articles With fluids, comprising a container divided by partitions into a compartment having a r0- tatable support for the article to be treated and a plurality of compartments having each a rotary elevator' to dip into the uid in said supply compartments` respectively, said partitions having lower and upper apertures for transfer of fluid to and from said supply and article compartments, a supply member extended in a substantially horizontal position to receive fluid supplies from said supply compartments respectively and to deliver said fluid supplies through the upper aperture to said article compartment in blended condition or separately, at will, a gate for said supply aperture, a spreader to receive fluid from said supplymember and apply it to said article, a drainage member to control the return of fluid drained from said article to said compartments selectively, and a driving shaft with connections to operate said rotary support, spreader and elevators respectively.

13. Apparatus for treating articles with fluids, comprisingl a container divided into supply compartments and a compartment for the article to be treated, a removable supply member to receive fluids from said supply compartments respectively, a spreader to receive fluid from said supply member and apply it to said article compartment, and a flushing channel constructed 'to supply Washing fluid to said supply member, and in its absence to said supply compartments.

ll. Apparatus for treating articles with fluids, comprising a container divided into supply compartments and a compartment for the article to be treated, a supply member to receive fluids from said supply compartments respectively, a spreader to receive fluid from said supply member and apply it to said articlecompartment, and a flushing channel constructed to supply Washing fluid to said supply member and thence to said article compartment.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 26th day of February, 1915.

FREDERICK A. FLICK.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER PRoUDrrr, EVA J. Pn'r'rrr.

Uopiel at this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patente.

Washington, D. C. 

